


Lover, You've Gone Cold (ARCHIVED)

by MangoPantsu



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Dark, Drug Dealing, Drugs, Eventual Romance, F/F, Gang Violence, Gangs, Gangsters, POV Alternating, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-05
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-01-14 15:19:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1271308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MangoPantsu/pseuds/MangoPantsu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the ratholes of a crime-ridden city, gangs rule the town. It's not safe, even during the daylight. The cops have grown lazy, even involved in the illegal affairs constantly occurring throughout the cities. Ymir is one of the biggest and most widely known pushers in the city, and her power is strong and well-known throughout. Krista has lived in Trost Academy since she was 7, and she's managed to keep herself safe and under the radar for a long time. These complete opposites meet and their worlds clash, but they find something within each other that either never knew individually.</p><p>((ARCHIVED ;; newer version coming soon))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trip

**Author's Note:**

> long live yumikuri!
> 
> this fic will definitely get dark, so prepare yourselves and enjoy :y
> 
> * This fic is intended for mature audiences.

"Yeah, I, uh, have a few bindles set aside for you. Swing by and we'll see about making business," she mused, nibbling on her pinkie nail casually while she heard out the person on the other end of the line for a moment before responding. "A'ight, I'll see you then, bedbug. Nighty-night." Ymir pulled the phone away from her face and hung up, tossing it onto her bed before wandering back to her living room. The air in there was weighted with cloying smoke, and music filled the air.

Four people circled around the big glass coffee table littered with ash trays with a few lit joints leaned against the side. Ymir had yet to have a chance to join in on the fun, and when she rejoined the group that sat on the ground, they welcomed her with various greetings and acknowledgements, one calling out "Hey hey, the big man decides to join us!" and another crowing, "She's pushin' even on her off hours!" and another - "Aye, she cashin' in constantly. Mind on the _money_." That guy took a hit off his blunt before leaning across the table to offer a fistbump to Ymir. She waved it away with feigned distaste before reaching for what appeared to be just a plain sheet of paper with a pattern on it.

"Hey, if I don't keep the business going then the cash stops rollin'," she remarked mockingly, stealing a saying from one of the people sitting there. He snickered and shook his head before taking a swig of the vodka in his hand.

Someone else started up a new topic and Ymir just quietly listened as she broke off a small square of the perforated paper. After glancing around at the people she was supposed to be friends with, her tongue snaked out of her mouth and she pressed the paper to her tongue and slipped it back into her mouth.

Ymir leaned back with a sigh, letting the lids of her eyes shut the world out as she waited and waited for the paper to dissolve, then for the drug to hit her system. But soon vivid flashes of swirling colors and hypnotizing thoughts filled her brain and she soon forgot what she had been waiting on. She let her own personal light show continue, enjoying the trip without even fully realizing she was already out.

When she touched on consciousness again, she didn't remember laying down. But she was, with the plush carpet beneath her body and the white ceiling staring down at her. The voices were gone, and when she lifted her head to look around, there was only one person left. Her eyebrows furrowed at the last one.

It was a girl, and she was laying down on the carpet, too. Her elbows propped her up as her glassy dark brown eyes stared up at the ceiling. Her lips were parted and red from whatever lipstick she had put on. Ymir's eyes trailed down the long dark black hair that fell down and spilled across the carpet. The tendrils seemed to sway in a wind Ymir couldn't feel, and for a while she stared at it as if she was locked in a spell.

Finally Ymir cleared her mind enough to sit up and clear her throat. The action got her a wide-eyed look from the girl, whose mouth still hung open as if she was in shock about everything. Which she probably was. "Where, uh-" Ymir paused to clear her throat in an attempt to get rid of the obnoxious croak "-did everyone go?"

The woman took a long time to process the question and finally spoke up in a hoarse voice. "Mattie and Je...Jeff...?" She lost her thought for a moment, squinting her eyes before blurting out the rest. "They went to fuck at her apartment... and... L-Liam... was throwing up so Jeff drove him to his apartment." Once she finished she smacked her lips slowly, licking them quite a few times before turning her sluggish gaze onto Ymir once more.

Ymir sniffed once, and one moment she was thinking about standing up and the next she was, brushing back a loose strand of her hair. "Okay. I think I'm gonna hit the sack. Are you, uh, cool with sleeping on the couch?"

"Yeah, but... Can you close the window? It's so windy."

Ymir didn't respond, but compliantly crossed over the room to the wide window that looked out over the city. As she made her way there she watched the black curtains move with the wind, rolling and flapping with its direction. But once she reached the window, her hands slid over the window.

It was closed.

Ymir sighed in annoyance at the hallucination before heading to her bedroom and shutting the door behind her. A trail of clothes followed her to the king-sized bed, and soon she was pulling the covers up over her shivering body before reaching over to turn off the lamp.

As she laid down on her side and curled her body up, her eyes ended up locking onto the hand in front of her that rested upon the pillow. It took her a moment to realize it was her own hand.

Ymir watched her hand closely, seeing the few freckles dancing and swirling around on her skin before finally she was lulled to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've done a lot of research for this fanfic but i know im still not an expert on this stuff! if i get something wrong feel free to comment! i'd love any help! C:
> 
> also, some slang defs for you guys so you dont have to search up every one:
> 
> bingle - a small bag of cocaine  
> bedbug - a fellow drug user  
> joint - a rolled marijuana cigarette  
> blunt - a rolled marijuana cigar  
> pushing - selling drugs  
> pusher - a drug dealer  
> trip - (noun) a single complete experience with LSD (acid)
> 
> dont do drugs its a shitty habit  
> kissus u all and pats u with my kitty paws


	2. Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krista goes through the motions.  
> tw: self-harm, non-graphic

It was a morning just like any other morning; it came, regardless of Krista's will.

The blaring of her alarm forced her eyes open and she stared for a long while up at the cracked ceiling that glared down at her, colored a milky gray by the peeking sun rays through her curtains into the dark room. The alarm engulfed her for a while as she took a long minute to prepare herself for the day before finally reaching over and clicking off the old analog alarm clock. Now, get out of bed, her mind told her.

She complied mechanically, throwing the duvet off her body and swinging her short legs over the side of her bed - if it could be called that; it was just a bedspring and a mattress stacked haphazardly on the floor. She stood up and began pulling the spaghetti strap tanktop over her head as she walked to the small bathroom, then sliding her panties down until they simply fell limply to the ground. Krista stepped out of them and then focused her attention on the shower, turning it on and then clambering in without waiting for it to heat completely. The cold water had her entire body covered in goosebumps, even her small pink nipples. She exhaled and turned to face the shower head, closing her eyes and letting the water heat up as it washed over her body.

The shower was over soon, and Krista followed her internal schedule to point. At 7:22 she sat down in the single metal folding chair and had her bowl of cereal at the dingy four-legged wooden square table, her eyes glued to the old glass TV screen that displayed the news. She didn't taste her food, she just ate it.

At 7:35 she approached the plastic storage drawers that acted as her dresser and pulled them open. After dropping her towel, Krista slid on her panties and latched on her bra, then pulled on her uniform in the same way she did every day: first the dark blue plaid and pleated skirt that hung down to the top of her knees, next the white tanktop that hugged her small body, then the long-sleeved white button-up shirt with a collar, and finally the black cardigan with the school's symbol sewed onto the front pocket. She buttoned up the three buttons at the bottom, smoothed out her outfit and glanced in the cheap full-body mirror to make sure everything was in order.

At 7:40 she ran the brush through her short blonde hair, carefully pulling it back into its signature low ponytail before grabbing her over-the-shoulder school bag and flip phone and pushing out of the door.

Her dorm was located on the ground floor of the Trost Academy girls' dorm building, and it was kind of secluded in a way that meant not a lot of people opted for the first floor because of its aged decor and appliances. All of the surrounding dorms were better than Krista's, though.

After weaving through the hallways, she made it to the main lobby, where a lot of people were loitering. Some were gathered around the public TV, others lounged around the nice couches and tables in the surrounding area. Krista ignored all this and pushed through the glass doors leading outside along with other girls on their way to class.

At 7:50, Krista arrived at the commons just outside the 1A building, named the Maria building. where she would be having her first class. Precisely on time - 7:51 \- Sasha Blouse bounded over to her with crumbs on her face and grabbed her arm. "Krista! Connie is trying to say Grand Theft Auto 5 is better than Left 4 Dead! Come join my side!" she declared all too loudly as usual, yanking her over to the picnic table Connie and three others were seated. Immediately as they arrived Sasha and Connie dove into a yelling match. It wasn't anything dangerous though; completely harmless, as was all their other fights. Krista sat down next to a girl named Mikasa who shared her same grade and smiled kindly at her, as well as Armin, and Eren, other students in her grade. Mikasa nodded once in acknowledgement, Armin returned the smile and waved politely, and Eren was too busy staring at his textbooks while Mikasa murmured something to him. He muttered about how he hadn't asked for a tutor, and Mikasa straightened up, looking emotionless as she stared at the table. Krista thought idly about how only he had the power to hurt her feelings, and she felt a prick of irritation at how he would sometimes carelessly abuse that. He was a nice guy though, overall, and she didn't think he meant it.

At 8:00 the bell rang, and the students slowly parted in their own pairs to trudge off to class. Krista lingered at the table a little longer before getting to her feet and slinging her bag back over her shoulder.

Her classes passed as they did every day, nothing new except the lessons which Krista hardly heard. When the last bell rang at 3:40, she went back to her dorm and changed into her work uniform before beginning to walk to the gates that surrounded the academy. As soon as she stepped out of its confinements, her head ducked low and she pulled her the hood of her jacket over her head. The streets she walked now weren't too bad, and the houses around the school were pretty nice. But the farther she weaved into the city's depths, the more shady it became. Boarded up buildings and condos that looked so old they might collapse if you set foot in it decorated the streets, and the people she passed were none too friendly. Most were wearing masks or bandanas over their faces, and congregated in scattered groups of two to four. Their eyes would pass over Krista just briefly before disregarding her and continuing with their business.

Krista felt the familiar nausea drift over her as she saw the sly pass-offs they made. She knew it was drugs. She saw the way the receiver's eyes lit up with this terrifying, inhuman obsession when it hit their hand. She had to redirect her eyes to the sidewalk to keep herself from hurling. As she was walking, though, she heard someone yell and glanced over her shoulder long enough to misstep and bump into someone. With a quiet "ah!", she glanced over at him and bowed her head submissively. "I'm so sorry, sir," she murmured quietly, trying her best to keep her face hidden from him.

"Girl you better watch who you walk into." His accent was thick and he reeked of the sickening bittersweet smell of marijuana. Suddenly Krista felt a hand under her chin, forcibly jerking her chin up. "Hey, didn't your parents teach you manners?! Look someone in the eye when you talk to them, girl." The guys face was covered with a surgeon's mask, but his bloodshot blue eyes still glared out at her.

"Mm, you're a pretty doe, aren't you, though?" he said, this time much softer as he stroked her cheek a little. Krista let out a choked whimper and took a step back. "I'm s-sorry, I have to go or I'll be late," she stammered to the ground again before turning and walking off briskly with her head down.

"Alright, Doe, I'll catch up with you later," he called after her, barking a mocking laugh.

Krista soon arrived to her place of employment with no more incidents, and she had managed to get her heart to quit trying to kill itself from overexertion. The girl pushed the glass door open, and the bell chimed at 4:10. "Krista! Early as always," called a friendly face behind the cash register. Marco Bodt had worked at this little bookstore longer than she had, and that was saying something considering her 3 years of service here. He was a good foot taller than her, with dark brown hair parted in the middle. He had cute freckles dotting his cheeks, and despite how much Krista wished she was attracted to him, she couldn't find the energy or the natural connection between them. Besides, a rumor seemed to be going around that he was spending an awful lot of time with some guy as of late. Anyways, that was his own business.

Krista fell into the routine of work once more, sorting through books and shelving them where they needed to go, and attending to the customers that came along. When her shift was over, Marco and her walked home together, which made Krista feel ten times better. Marco was strong and pretty muscular. He could easilt take on that gangly (no pun intended) guy she had bumped into earlier. He was good at filling the air with light topics that didn't require much talking from Krista. But when she needed to, she made sure to smile her brightest and nod with enthusiasm like she would anyone else.

They got to the gates and parted ways with a friendly wave from either party. Krista put her short legs to work as she made her way to her dorm. At 9:14 she pushed through the doors. A few girls still littered the lobby rooms, but most were wearing pajamas or work attire. It seemed they were playing a movie over by the entertainment system. She skipped that and made a beeline for her room.

The door creaked in protest when she swung it open, then slammed it shut behind her and locked it. Krista set her bag in the exact position she always did before yanking her clothes off with small whimpers. Already the tears were stinging those teal eyes of her as she struggled to get her cardigan off of her, then the rest of the layers of clothing. Stumbling to the bath she turned the hot water onto full blast without even touching the Cold knob. Dropping to her knees, she opened the chipped wooden cabinet underneath the sink and grabbed what would set her free that night.

Steam billowed from the fast-filling tub, a good indicator that the water was way too hot, but Krista didn't care. She turned off the water and eased her body into the scalding water, inhaling sharply as she did so. Her small hands cupped the water and splashed it over her reddening face, gritting her teeth in pain before opening her eyes and staring at the blade she held in her hand. Her eyes slowly drifted over to her scarred thighs before beginning the process of adding more.

When the whole ordeal was over, she felt like she could breathe again. Krista leaned against the shower wall weakly, letting the hot water sting her cuts. The water she sat in was diluted to a foggy crimson color as she sat there with her eyes closed.

Time passed, and for the only time of the day, Krista didn't care about the time. She relished it.

Soon though, she stood up on shaking legs and stepped out of the bathtub. The portion of her body that had been submerged was a flaming red color because of the temperature of the water. But Krista had done this before, and she knew by morning the color would be faded back to normal.

Krista let herself resume the robotic way of going through the steps to get ready for bed: bandaging her thighs, brushing her teeth, combing her hair, getting dressed, and then crawling back into bed.

Just like she did every night, she asked whatever god might be up there to keep tomorrow from coming. And just like every other night before, she knew her request would fall upon deaf ears. Tomorrow would come.

But for now, Krista found comfort in the blackness of a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY ITS STILL GOING SLOW b ut next chapter the two babes actually mEET !!! hang in there babes!


	3. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krista isn't feeling very well, and Ymir has the chance to make a big deal with one of the most powerful drug dealers in the whole country. Unluckily, something happens that forces Ymir to make a difficult choice.  
> TW: slurs, threats

 

_His hand reached out and closed around her wrist, giving a rough yank. The shadowy figure opened his mouth, but only black fog poured out of his mouth and harsh sounds. Krista struggled against him, trying to hit him, but she was so small and her moves were so sluggish and unsteady. Why couldn't she move fast enough? His other hand closed around her other arm and forcefully held her to him, more of that black fog billowing from his mouth._

"Mmmph," the blonde whimpered, twitching.

-

_Ymir couldn't work through the fog in her mind, all she could make out was a pair of blue eyes, with fear and desperation flashing. She furrowed her brows, forcing her blurry body to move forward. "Hey," she called out._

Thin, long fingers curled around the silky sheets, a low grunt coming from the brunette.

_The blue eyes stayed locked on something else Ymir couldn't see. "Hey!" she tried again. "Hey, are you okay?" she called, trying to move closer, but something was tugging her away._

-

_Krista heard a faint noise, and she glanced over to the source. Brown eyes stared at her, and they seemed worried. She immediately opened her mouth to scream for them to help but she couldn't, something else was pulling her away, out of the darkness, something--_

She bolted upright, with a cry, the blackness of sleep shattering around her. After the world stopped spiraling she sucked in an shaky breath, closing her eyes and brushing back her blonde hair. She simply waited for a moment, letting her heartbeat steady while the alarm rang on and on. Finally Krista reached over and shut it off before starting her day once more.

Shower, breakfast, clothes, hair. Nothing changed in her schedule, not even a minute. She left her dorm at the same time as always, arrived at the table of her acquaintances at the same time, and went to her class at the same time. Nothing changed. In her physics class, during a pause in notes, she dared wondering if there would ever be a change.

The thought frightened her so much she shoved it away for later. Thing is, she had no idea if she was afraid of change, or if she was afraid of no change at all.

-

"No. No way. No money, no drugs," Ymir snapped, crossing her freckled arms while glaring the guy in front of her down.

"I can pay for them as soon as I get my next paycheck, but I have some people in demand. I have people to protect, bills to pay, please Ymir--"

"No. I don't care who you gotta protect, if you hadn't spent your money somewhere else, you coulda bought some shit from me. I'm running a drug cartel, not a charity business," she paused to take a hit of her cigarette before blowing it out into his face with narrowed eyes. "Now scram, rat, before I gun your ass down for even having the balls to ask me."

He shot her a nasty look that reminded Ymir of the saying "if looks could kill" before storming out of the apartment and slamming the door shut. She tch'd in annoyance, brushing a strand of her hair back. Today was a big day, and she couldn't spend it with the bums off the street. Turning from the door after latching it shut, she dabbed out her cigarette in a nearby ash tray, dropping the butt there too before heading to her room to seek out an outfit. Yes, a big day indeed.

Today, Ymir was meeting with one of most infamous drug dealers in the country.

 

-

As the bell sounded in her last class, Krista moved robotically to file away the blank piece of notebook paper she was supposed to be taking notes on into her folder then slid it into its place in her bag before standing up to file out of the lecture room. She felt a tap on her shoulder as she did so, and glanced back to see Armin standing there with a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Hey, Krista. I noticed you didn't write any notes. Do you wanna borrow mine?" he offered politely, his blue eyes shining with friendliness. Krista beamed a smile at him in response, feeling the fake front of her happy self fall over her like a veil.

"Oh, yes! If you wouldn't mind! Sorry, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." The lie slid from her lips easily. Well, partial lie. Krista never got a lot of sleep, she just couldn't force herself to take notes today. There was still a stinging sensation on her thighs that were heated from their wounds. She had anxiously been rubbing them all day.

After Armin gave her a few pages of notes written in neat, small print, Krista headed off to her dorm to get dressed for work. She had some time to kill before she did head that way, so she worked on copying Armin's notes and then stuffing the papers back into her backpack. She briefly remembered it was Friday, thanks to Sasha's extremely eager rambling about the movie she intended to go see this Saturday with Connie and a few others Krista's mind couldn't commit to memory. Maybe she would tag along with them after work; she wasn't doing anything all weekend, and she found it best to avoid staying alone for too long. It lead to dangerous stuff.

After sipping down an iceless glass of water, she head out, her hands lifting to wrap nervously around the across-the shoulder strap of her bag as she left the Academy and directed herself towards work.

Krista weaved through the streets, her head ducked lower than usual today with her eyes fixed upon the cracked cement beneath her feet. After her encounter with that guy, she was determined to stay out of everyone's way and to not have any more run-ins with any other sketchy people. Her pace was swift, her short legs taking in as much distance as possible with each step and as fast as possible without it being a run. The blonde girl focused solely on getting to the bookstore, and when she did without incident, her shoulders visibly sagged with relief, and she fell silently into her memorized work routine. But a heavy exhaustion gripped the edges of her mind. She found soon the more time that passed, the worse it got, until her vision was blurring pretty heavily.

 

"Hey Krista, did we get a shipment in today? I think we're short some books..." Marco trailed off, his eyes lingering upon the blonde. "Hey, are you okay?" he said in a much softer voice, concern lighting his soft brown eyes.

 

"Oh, yes, I'm fine!" Krista nodded a few times, which dizzied her, but she tried to smile reassuringly. It looked feeble, though, and Marco's brow furrowed lightly. Suddenly he lifted his hand up, and she gasped instinctively, going rigid as he pressed his palm to her forehead and remained that way until he pulled away.

 

"Krista, you're running a fever. You should go home," he said, in a gentle but firm voice. Krista argued anyways.

 

"Marco, I'm seriously fine, I'm just a little--"

 

"Krista, don't fight. You need to get home and get well."

 

She hesitated for a while, but she saw his resolve was strong, and she wasn't. "Alright," she mumbled quietly, turning to get her stuff from the back.

 

"I'll take you home," Marco suddenly declared as she returned to the front of the store.

 

Her blue eyes widened at him. "That's not necessary, Marco, really. I'll-I'll be okay."

 

"I can't just let you walk home in your state, especially in this city. Plus I just got my brand new car. Just let me close up real quick." Without even giving her another chance to respond, he disappeared into the back.

Krista really couldn't think straight, but all she knew was that she couldn't inconvenience Marco like that. So while he was preoccupied in the back, she pushed quietly out of the door and hurried down the street. But not 10 minutes within her walking did it become quite difficult to put one foot in front of the other. She felt very cold, and she found herself wrapping her arms tightly around herself. This was gonna be a long trip home...

-

 

"Where the fuck is he?" Ymir snarled into her phone, causing a couple of girls behind her to quicken their feet. "He said he'd be here at five-fucking-thirty, it's-" she paused to check her black Rolex watch "- 6:12. Does he _know_ who I am? Does he _know_ who I'm dealing with?!" Something suddenly bumped into her, but whatever it was wasn't big enough to throw her off balance. Annoyance prickled inside her nonetheless. She turned to see a blonde girl. "Hey, watch where you're walking," the brunette barked.

The girl held up her hands innocently. "I'm-I'm so sorry," she half-whispered, her voice weak. 

Ymir stared at her, and concluded from her flushed cheeks and woozy reaction that the chick was sick or something. "It's chill," she responded in a calmer voice.

The blonde nodded once before continuing on her way, her stagger making Ymir feel a twinge of anxiety. Was the kid stupid? The sun was going down, and she was walking alone in this city. She could get jumped and hurt if she wasn't careful. The tall brunette's gaze remained on the blonde before the voice over the line jerked her back.

"He said he's almost there. You better jump in that car and speed to that meeting place, girl. Nothing Banksy dislikes more than someone who shows up late."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I see his car turning the corner now. See you." Clicking the phone off, Ymir shoved the phone into her pocket and rocked restlessly back and forth on her feet. She was dressed very nicely in her black business suit with her hair slicked back into a ponytail. As the car slowed to a halt, she took a step forward to open the door, but a voice caught her attention.

"Heeeeyy hey hey, it's the doe! Look boys, it's the doe that ran into me last night!" a male voice called.

Ymir looked up to see a group of 4 guys... gathered around the little blonde girl. Ymir felt her hand tighten around the car handle and pull it open.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, Ymir, I had to drop my cousin off..." the voice rambled on from inside the car, but Ymir's eyes were still glued to the girl.

"I-I'm just trying to get home," the blonde said softly, her eyes on the sidewalk beneath her.

"Why don't you come with us instead?" another guy piped up, reaching forward to grab her forearm. The blonde yanked it away with strength that surprised not only the guys but Ymir as well.

"No, no, please, I'm not feeling well, I just want to go home!" she said, her voice raising with a tremble to it.

"Ymir? If you don't get in we'll be late," the voice sounded from within the car. "I have to meet with Banksy, too, and you know how angry he gets when people are late!"

"Shh! Just one fucking minute," Ymir hissed at him. He was right, though. She had to go. If she didn't, she would never get this deal, and it was so hugely important. But...

This girl, this girl was in trouble.

Ymir tuned back into the conversation. "No, blondie, you're not going home." One guy seized both of her arms, pulling her small body close to his raggedy-ass self. "You're coming with us, get it?"

"No, please," she choked out, trying to break free of his grip but to no avail. Whipping her head around, she saw no one on the street.. except the brunette girl she had ran into a moment before. "H-help! Help, please!" she cried out to her, tears burning her blue eyes.

"No one's gonna help ya, shut the fuck up, you stupid slut!" another guy shouted in her face.

Ymir had seen enough. Slamming the car door shut, she stormed over to the guys, who were so focused on touching on the blonde that they didn't even see her come up. Grabbing the girl's shirt from behind and slamming another hand against the guy's shirt, she yanked the girl away from his grip. "What the fuck do you think your doing, you sick bastard?" she snarled at him. "Fuckin' putting your hands all over her like she some doll. Get your grimy ass out of my face before I have you fucking _shot_."

The boys looked amongst themselves before returning their gaze to Ymir. The guy that seemed to lead them - with a surgeon mask over his mouth and nose - spoke up. "Oh yeah, bitch? Who's gonna shoot us? Your ride?" He lifted a hand to gesture to the street. "The one that fuckin' left yo' ass?"

Ymir glanced behind her to see the car was gone, and when she turned back to face the guys she was greeted with a strong punch in the nose. She stumbled back a few, realizing she had released the girl. Through her blurry vision she saw the blonde trying to run, but the boys easily caught her. A hot liquid dribbled from Ymir's nose and she whipped it away as she straightened up. She shoved her weight forward, grabbing the shorter guy by his collar and lifting him off the ground.

"Do you know who the fuck I am, little boy? Do you want to fuckin' die?" She snarled into her face.

"Hey you crazy bitch, get your hands off me!" he demanded in a cracking voice, trying to smack away her hands.

So she did. She threw him onto the ground, just as something hard and heavy collided with the back of her skull. With a soft cry, she stumbled forward, reaching behind her head weakly to gingerly feel the trickling blood. She looked back to see the guy - the same guy she had denied drugs to that same day - raising the lead pipe again to strike her.

Then something peculiar happened. The little blonde barrelled into the boy's side with a scream, forcing him to the ground. Ymir blinked in amazement as the other guys leaped forward to pull the blonde off of him. Ymir took this moment with the guy down to step on his hand, making him scream in pain and release the lead pipe, which she picked up.

When she faced the group again, a feeling of dread settled in her belly. They had a small switchblade, held to the struggling blonde's neck. "We'll slice her open if you take another step forward, you stupid whore!" Surgeon Mask declared, but his voice was still cracking and his hand shuddered.

Well, this was quite the pinch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> immm soooo sorrryyyy for my long, unannounced hiatus!  
> i just really lost muse for this fanfic -crying-  
> but i forced myself to finish this chapter because i really do like this AU a lot and I want to see it until the end  
> please excuse my slowness, BUT HA, i proved everyone wrong. everyone always says after a month of inactivity "u kno the fic is dead" but i did it so ha
> 
> i hope u guys enjoyed chapter 3!!


	4. Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krista wakes up in an unfamiliar place. She reacts accordingly.

 Krista stirred within warm covers, her lips parting to exhale softly as she shifted in her bed. She refused to open her eyes just yet, tugging the sheets up to her chin. The bed was too warm and too comfy, the blankets too soft...

But... Krista didn't have soft blankets, she just had a scratchy, wooly one. And her bed was definitely not comfortable. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard her bed squeak underneath her when she had adjusted herself.

Throwing herself into sitting position, Krista's eyes flew wide open. This was not her bed. This was not her room.

Panic ensued. She threw the covers off of herself, eyes wide open as she glanced around the dark, unfamiliar room wildly. Fear turned her blood to ice. She pushed herself off the bed, stumbling off of it on unsteady, unready legs. Her legs gave and she collapsed but hurriedly forced herself back on her feet, eyes wide as she struggled to see in the darkness. Her breathing was erratic, and she felt adrenaline humming inside her body in response to the situation. _Where am I?!_

Scanning the bedroom as she pushed her back against the wall, Krista at once located one brown, wooden door on the door parallel to the side of the bed she had stumbled from. Forcing herself to try to listen despite the blood pounding in her ears, she heard the rumble of voices outside, fast approaching. Releasing a whimper of terror, she glanced around. The dresser to her left had a fancy lamp with a weighted bottom resting atop it. Seizing it, her hands curled around it tightly, the metal cold and heavy as she raised it above her head. The doorknob turned.

Someone stepped in, and with a high-pitched cry Krista threw her weight into slamming the lamp down on the person's head. He - it was a man, she saw- immediately collapsed. But he wasn't the only one. "What the...?" an incredulous, female voice said. Krista turned towards her with the lamp and took a swung with a loud grunt. The figure nimbly jumped out of the way. "Hey, what the hell?!"

Krista let out a scream of frustration as the lamp swung from her grip before hurling herself at the woman. She herself was much smaller than other woman, but she managed to bring her to the ground. There they tussled, each one trying to gain an upper hand. Krista knew that if she was pinned it would be over for her, so she did her best each time they rolled to keep the momentum going so she ended up back on top. Aiming a punch at the other girl's face in the dark was hard, but she felt her fist with something hard, and she assumed it as her jaw. The high of the successful move distracted her for a second - a second too long. The woman beneath her threw her weight to the side and slammed Krista's small shoulders into the carpet beneath them. Krista writhed and struggled, but the weight was impossible to remove. She resorted to her last hope. "Help!" she screeched at the very top of her lungs, "Help me!" The blonde thrashed underneath the other female while simultaneously making as much noise as she could.

"Shut the fuck _up_!" the girl on top of her hollered, and in a quick move she pinned both of Krista's hands down with one hand then slapped the other against her mouth to stop the noise. "Listen! I did not save your ass to have you get the damn cops called on me! Calm the hell down and-- shit!" Krista had managed to get her mouth open far enough to bite onto her hand, making her remove it and then desperately clawed her way out from under her and kept crawling into she was backed against a hard piece of furniture - maybe a couch. She turned then and looked at the girl, blue eyes wide in fear as she struggled for her breath. Sweat coated her body, and she felt her hair sticking to her face as she trembled a little.

The woman stood up, rubbing her jaw while muttering curses under her breath. She started walking away, towards a wall and with a flick, light flooded the room, burning Krista's pupils. She had to blink a few times to see that the woman she had been wrestling with was tall and tan with dark hair. When she turned to face her with hard eyes, her face seemed familiar, and she tried to work through the adrenaline and fear to resurrect her memories

"Where am I?" she asked in a quiet, surprisingly still voice. "Who are you?"

"You're in my apartment. And unless you want to get your face ripped off, I'd suggest you don't punch your host's face again," she growled, opening and closing her jaw as if to test it out before her eyes turned back onto Krista. "I'm the one who saved you from being those little twerps' plaything."

Her mind ticked, then something in Krista's head clicked, and she suddenly remembered: the guys that jumped her, their grimy hands as they all tried to touch her, their taunting voices, and the tall, tan woman who had came to her rescue. She lifted a small hand to cover her mouth while her ears burned scarlet in mortification. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, too ashamed to meet the other girl's eyes.

"Well, you should be. You knocked the damn doctor unconscious and freaked me the hell out."

Krista looked up. "Doctor?" She said the word as if it were foreign to her.

"Yes, the doctor I paid good fucking money to come all the way out to my house and make sure you weren't dying," the dark-haired female snapped.

Krista winced. "I'm... so sorry," she repeated in a small voice cracked from lack of use and sleep. And she was sorry. The blonde didn't actually feel much emotion most of the time, but since she'd woken up all she'd done was feel. She was exhausted because of it, and added on top of the guilt, she was fully ready to curl up and die.

"If you're seriously sorry, stop cowering and come help me with the doctor," the other female muttered, moving back towards the bedroom, "'cause now we gotta make sure _he's_ not dying."

Somehow the two had ended up in a living room during their scuffle. Krista got back to her feet, her body still feeling unsteady from everything that had happened, but she managed to make herself dutifully follow after the other girl.

As soon as she stepped into the dark room, she felt a chill crawl up her spine. The fear she felt when she had awoken seemed to still linger in the air. She still felt the buzz in her legs telling her to run away from here, but after punching the person who had saved her in the jaw and nearly offing the doctor she'd hired for her, obligation mixed with her own shame at what had happened kept her in place. "Is he... okay?" she asked, only afterwards realizing how dumb the question was.

The tall brunette gave her a dry look that reaffirmed the stupidity of the question. "Well," she said, "he got bludgeoned with a damn lamp, so no, I'd assume he isn't so okay." She released the wrist of the doctor she'd been holding. "Still has a pulse. At least he's alive," she muttered. "Get me a glass of water."

Krista stood there for a long minute, unsure before turning quickly and exiting the bedroom, exhaling as soon as she was a distance away from the other girl. She found the kitchen easily enough, and searched carefully through the cabinets until she found the glasses. It was weighted and fancily sculpted, and Krista immediately felt like she shouldn't be touching something so expensive-looking. Her hands trembled a little but she silently reprimanded herself. After filling it up near the brim from the tap, she caught sight of the fridge ice and water filter and blinked. Dumping the water down the sink, she curiously pressed the cup to the handle and watched the clear liquid fill up the glass. She'd never had water from a fridge filter like this, she thought to herself as the cold permeated her hand from outside the glass. The blonde let it for a while, staring at it absently. How had she gotten caught up in a situation like this?

She returned to the room silently, making sure to hold the glass firmly so as to not break it or anything. Ymir outstretched a hand, not looking at Krista while she handed her the glass. Then, she promptly dumped it on the doctor. Krista's eyes bugged out of her head.

The doctor jerked to life, sputtering and coughing as he sat up. The brunette gave him a pat on the back that seemed like more of a smack, a mocking grin on her face. "Good morning, sleepy head! How d'ya feel?"

The man yanked off his glasses, rubbing damp face as he coughed a little. "What in the world, Ymir? What... what happened?" He asked, squinting at her, though Krista thought it was moreso because he couldn't see rather than the fact he was perturbed. His furry white brows furrowed as he awaited his answer.

The brunette - Ymir? - got to her feet with a sigh, tossing him a towel. "The girl you came to check up on decided it'd be a great idea to attack us with a lamp."

Krista felt her cheeks heat up, and she desperately wanted to jump to her own defense, but opted for staying quiet save for the quiet "sorry" she murmured.

The doctor eyed the petite girl for a moment before shaking his head, mopping up the mess of water with the towel before getting to his feet with Ymir's help. "It seems I can't come here without getting myself injured," he muttered gruffly, his hand reaching back to probe his own head, wincing as he touched a particular sensitive spot before sighing.

"Well, I pay you too much for you to complain," Ymir shot back, crossing her arms and leaning against to wall. "You're not dead. Make sure she's-" she jerked her head in Krista's direction "-alright, then I'll pay you and we can go on our merry ways."

The doctor turned towards Krista, a wary and slightly irritated look on his face. Krista wanted to protest that was she was fine and didn't need a doctor, but once again swallowed back her words. She'd caused enough damage, and she decided her best option was to sit down and shut up. So she did, opening her mouth when the doctor told her to, letting him inspect injuries she'd yet to see. One in particular, a slight cut on her neck, not deep at all, but still painful when she moved her head around. She wasn't surprised when the doctor told her she seemed to just be coming off a fever, and that she probably had a cold or something of that sort. She was told to rest and heal up and contact him if it was needed. He said the last part very reluctantly.

After packing things back into his doctor's bag and disposing of the gloves he wore, Ymir was pulling something out of her pocket, never having leaved her place against the wall. Krista only saw what it was when she passed it off to the doctor. He examined it as if insulted. "How much is this?"

"Fifteen hundred."

"That's... Awfully light."

"'Awfully light'? You came over and took a girl's temperature. You should count your lucky stars I decided to give you an extra $500 at all."

"I took time out of my schedule to do this, and I also got knocked unconscious."

Ymir's mildly annoyed face shifted, her lip twitching as she narrowed her eyes and pushed herself off the wall to stand up at full height. She was taller than the doctor by a good 5 or 6 inches, and she definitely used it to her advantage. "How's your family, Doc? They doing good? I wonder why that is. I wonder why no one has broke into that quaint little place of yours, the way you shove your money in the town's faces. Can you guess why that is?"

The Doctor attempted to start a few statements but ultimately failed, his eyes repeatedly breaking from Ymir's sharp stare.

"Well, let me give you a helpful tip. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, and _definitely_  don't bite the hand that keeps you safe." Her voice had dropped low, and Krista had to strain to listen while pretending she wasn't. Her blue eyes were fixed onto the carpet in front of her, face carefully composed so the nervousness didn't show through.

Krista saw the doctor bow his head through her periphery, and she swallowed a forming lump in her throat. "My apologies, Ymir... Money has been.. tight. Please excuse me. I must be on my way now."

Ymir tch'd as he left, waiting for the door to close behind him before her gaze turned on Krista. Krista returned the stare with a blank face.

A silence descended on them, long and weighted. Krista distantly told herself she should say something, but the other girls' brown eyes held her in a trance-like state. They were sharp, unforgiving, and intense, regardless of the number of feet between them. She suddenly felt very small.

"I hope getting in all that trouble was really, really worth it, Blondie," Ymir suddenly said, her voice laced with ice, "because it is costing me more and more every minute. Shouldn't have wasted my time and money like that."

Krista's mouth opened just slightly, as if she planned to say something, but couldn't find words in the end.

"Don't think you just get to walk away after all this. You'll owe me. And since it was your life at stake, expect a hefty debt."

Krista looked up in surprise, feeling dread wash over her. Her mouth hung open again, this newfound promise of a debt rendering her wordless. It took her a minute to force herself to stand and speak.  "I don't have any money," she responded in a soft voice, eyebrows pinching together. The little she did have was being saved for a chance at college. She tried not to let the other's regret towards saving her life sting, but it did anyways.

"No? Well, don't worry. You can work it off." The brunette looked her up and down. "You'll make a good runner."

All the blood drained from the young blonde's face. "A runner?" her words were half-whispered as nausea budded in the pit of her stomach.

Ymir looked annoyed. "Yes, sweetheart, a drug runner. Think of it like delivering pizza, except it's illegal substances that will get you imprisoned for a number of years - if you're caught." She spoke the last part as if it was a joke. Krista didn't see why, though. Nothing about this situation was humorous. In fact, she was seriously debating if it had been worth living just to become a drug runner, destined to work until a life debt was paid off. She fought the strong urge to throw up and cry and found desperately wishing herself somewhere else. But no, she wouldn't show this woman how upset she was. Krista didn't know why, but she found herself disappointed. She'd expected her savior to be different. Someone respectable, not cruel.

Ymir rubbed her face for the second time, pressing her index and middle finger to her temple with a sigh. "If you have any questions, ask. You look like you might explode."

She was right about that: Krista's mind was practically buzzing with questions. The biggest one felt heavy on her tongue, so she decided to file it away and begin with the  simple ones. "What's your name? Y-Ymir?" she started, the unique name feeling odd coming out of her mouth.

The brunette nodded once absently, distracted by the action of picking at her nails.

Krista hesitated until Ymir glanced up at her with an eyebrow raised before continuing to her next one. "Where am I exactly?"

"Like I said, you're in my apartment. We're in the downtown part of town."

Downtown. It was a nicer part of the city, where the wealthy resided. It was as nice of an area you could snag in such a run-down city. But the only wealthy people in this city were the law enforcers and...

"Are you a drug dealer?" she blurted out her thoughts without thinking, then froze. Her back was rigid, knowing she had been too forward with herself.

Krista was shocked when Ymir sniggered. "Mm, come into the living room. I need to get a drink, and you standing there is kind of making me nervous you're gonna try and swing a lamp at me." With a wry smile on her face, she exited the room in strides. It only took a second for Krista to follow this time.

After she sat herself on a plush chair adjacent to the large black couch, she looked around from her spot while Ymir rummaged around in the kitchen.

Her place was nice. Really nice. Everything was sleek and new-looking. It hardly looked lived in, save for the nearly-overflowing ash tray and a few empty glasses that littered the coffee table. It was a realtor's wet dream in a town worthy of a realtor's nightmare. The living room was large and bled into the kitchen and a small space for a darkwood table with four matching chairs. The kitchen had a counter that hooked around and created a sort of barrier in between the living room and itself. Krista found herself watching the other woman as she poured herself a glass of something dark red and bubbly.

Ymir didn't glance up as she asked Krista if she wanted a drink. The blonde almost said no instinctively, but the feel of her dry throat and tongue stopped her. "Um, yes, please. W-water is fine," she responded, in her soft manner.

The brunette didn't make any sign that she had heard her, but soon exited the kitchen with two glasses. She handed one to Krista before sitting down in a fluid moment on the edge of her couch. After taking a long sip of her drink, she turned her eyes onto Krista. "I run a drug cartel. I'm the one who supplies the drug dealers, actually. I very occasionally deal the drugs." She paused to take another drink. "Basically I get the drugs and the money from Point A to Point B."

Krista stared down into her glass, her stomach churning uncomfortably inside her. Her small fingers tightened slightly around the glass, but she made no move to take a drink. She dared a glance up at Ymir. Ymir wasn't looking at her, instead examining her nails as she picked at them. She donned a black button down dress shirt with some dark-wash denim jeans that looked too expensive for Krista's meager funds. Black socks covered her long, narrow feet, and the ankle of one leg rested on the knee of the other. Suddenly, Ymir's eyes turned to her, and Krista realized, with a start, that she'd been staring at her. She quickly averted her eyes, her cheeks flushing a light pink. In an effort to save herself from the brunt of the embarrassment, she stammered out another question. "What happened?"

Her words hung in the air, settling over both girls as Krista stared off to space. She could hardly recall the event. It felt like a distant dream she couldn't quite grasp the details of. She became all too aware of the silence and the gaze of the other female boring into the side of her head.

Ymir sniffed once, shifting in her seat as she took another drink. She answered with another question: "What do you remember?"

Krista thought back on it, trying her hardest to resurrect the memory. Her brow furrowed slightly with concentration. "I... I remember them grabbing me," she began, her eyes slipping back down to the glass of water in her hands. "I remember one of them was a guy I'd bumped into before..." Bile rose in her throat at the memory of the man's disgusting breath, his horrible threats. She closed her eyes with a large swallow, trying to work past the anxiety rising in her throat at the thought. It took her a whole minute to move past the memory and refocus.

"I screamed for help and-and you were standing next to a car staring... I--" she stopped herself, unwilling to admit that she, in that moment, did not expect this woman to help her. She had already assumed she would do nothing. A slight stirring of guilt disturbed her stomach, and she fidgeted underneath Ymir's gaze before continuing. "Someone yanked me away from him, and suddenly you were holding the guy up by the collar. I think I tried to get away, but I couldn't. A guy punched you and then you started fighting them..." Krista also remembered a heavy pipe coming down on Ymir's head and cast an anxious glance up at the woman, who was rubbing the back of her head before looking back down. After that, everything was black. "That's all I remember."

"You don't remember charging at that guy with the pipe?" Ymir asked, and Krista swore she saw a flash of amusement on her face. "Or ripping that guy's knife out of his hand and stabbing him with it?"

Krista started, standing up. "I- I didn't do that!" she exclaimed, eyebrows pinching together as she stared at the girl. No hint of it being a joke showed on Ymir's face. "Did I?"

"What reason do I have to lie to you? Anyways, I was impressed. You don't look like you'd put up a fight." She downed the rest of her drink before standing up with a sigh, paying no heed to the distressed look on Krista's face. "Where do you live?"

Krista stood for a second, trying to process her words before slowly sitting back down, feeling miserable. She... stabbed someone? The blonde ran a hand through her hair, releasing a troubled sigh before responding. "I live at Trost Academy."

"Trost? That snooty school where all those annoying rich kids go?" The tan woman shot Krista a distasteful look, and to Krista's surprise, she felt defiance rise in her throat at the slight. She had to turn her head to keep from scowling at her, finally taking a sip of water as she did so.

Ymir licked her lips as she set her empty glass down. She bent down to lean against the counter, her eyes locking on Krista once more. "I can take you back home. I have to go out in that direction anyways." She grimaced, eyes flickering to the empty cup beside her. "But I mean it when I say you owe me."

The words lingered in the air, seemingly pressing down on Krista with an unbearable weight. She exhaled, closing her eyes in dread. An urge to cry reared up inside of her and she hastily forced it down, biting her lip. She couldn't cry, not after everything. Not in front of such a callous woman.

Krista looked up. Ymir had wandered during her thought process, and she distantly heard her shuffling around in her bedroom. In the next few minutes she heard her talking.

"Hey, I need a ride," she said, her voice traveling through the apartment. Krista was confused; she had no form of transportation.

"Yeah, just come by as soon as possible. I have a lot of shit to get done."

The blonde felt her confusion ebb away. Ymir wasn't talking to her; this was confirmed when she reentered the living room, a phone pressed to her ear.

"'Kay. Bye." Ymir hung up, then stood there for a second, doing something on her phone before heading for the kitchen again.

Krista felt incredibly awkward in the silence as she listened to Ymir's movements in the kitchen while idly sipping on her water; the sound of the fridge opening and closing, cupboards being rifled through. She heard the sound of a chip bag being opened and turned her head slightly to see. The tall girl was munching on some Cheetos, Krista could see through the gap between the counter and the cupboards. It made her realize how hungry she was herself, her stomach feeling extremely empty. She distantly wondered if she had any ramen left in her dorm.

A loud rapping on the door jerked Krista from her thoughts, and she watched as Ymir strode over to the door and, after glancing through the peephole, swung the door open. A man stood there, lighting up a cigarette. Krista craned her head a bit to get a better look. He was tall like Ymir, but maybe had about an inch or two on her. His face was long, with small eyes and sharp angles. His hair was perhaps the most interesting thing about him; it was dirty blond in the top, long and messy in a seemingly stylized way, but underneath the blonde was shorter dark brown hair.

"Quick enough for you?" he asked with a slight smirk, taking a hit of the cigarette.

"I'm impressed you didn't take a whole hour on your hair like you normally do," Ymir remarked dryly, picking up what looked to be a billfold and slipping it into her back pocket.

"Already had fixed it up," he mused, clearly not phased by the jab. Suddenly his eyes flickered over to Krista, and she felt herself tense up. "Who's this?"

"The girl that cost me my deal," growled Ymir. She bent down, scooping up a pair of shoes before tossing them onto the couch. "Put your shoes on," she told Krista.

Krista's face burned as she pulled her school shoes onto her feet, and she hoped that her hair shielded it from view. She felt that all-consuming desire to evaporate again as she straightened her knee socks.

"Hey, I heard Banksy was in a really bad mood anyways. Poor Leon got his ass handed to him for trying to approach him without setting up some sort of appointment," the guy remarked, flicking the ash off the end of the cigarette into the ash tray on the coffee table.

"Leon got what he fucking deserved, Jean."

Krista looked up, startled by the sudden change in Ymir's demeanor. Her face was cold and hard as she fixed him - Jean, evidently - with her sharp gaze.

Jean held up his hands in front of him defensively, though he didn't look too bothered by the attitude change. "I'd say you were hard on him, but I'm just the chauffeur." He put out his cigarette, then glanced at either girl. "You two ready?"

"Yeah," Ymir muttered, pushing off the wall she'd been leaning on and heading towards the door, the guy following suit. "C'mon, Blondie," she called without looking back.

In the next moment, Krista found herself standing beside a sleek black car that looked insanely expensive, having the door opened for her to get into the back seat, then sliding over leather seats. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been in a car. Most of the time, if she went out, she walked.

Krista listened to Jean and Ymir's idle conversations only passively, with her head leaning against her arm as she stared out the tinted window. She over-analyzed everything outside, trying her best to keep her mind occupied. She didn't want to think about what repaying her debt entailed. She didn't want to think about who she was in the car with. If she did, she might break.

"So, you go to Trost?"

The words jerked Krista from her daze, and she glanced up to see Jean glance at her through the rear-view mirror (Or, at least, she thought he did; his black sunglasses made it hard to tell). "Ah, um, yes," she said in a quiet voice.

"I used to go there," he remarked. "But I didn't stick around for very long." A smile pulled at the corner of her lips, as if there was a joke that Krista wasn't in on.

At a stoplight, he pulled down his shades enough so she could see his eyes. "You know a kid named Marco?"

"Light's green. Stop chattering like a damn bird and go," Ymir said before Krista could respond.

"Alright, alright," Jean conceded, and continued driving without any further commentary, leaving Krista's mind to whirl with questions.

It wasn't long before they pulled onto the street where Trost's front gate was located. Krista was so antsy to get out of the car that by the time Jean came to a complete stop, she was unbuckled and opening the door. Maybe if she moved fast enough, Ymir wouldn't have the chance to say anything. It was a childish, foolish thought, but Krista was desperate. She'd actually had a chance to get out and take a few steps before the woman's voice stopped her.

"Yo, Blondie."

Krista stared forward, wanting to break into a run and hide herself away in her solitary dorm, lock all the doors and draw the curtains and never come out. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her heart pounding in her mouth as she waited.

"I'll be around tomorrow, same time, to discuss your debt. Don't keep me waiting."

The window rolled back up, and Krista listened until she couldn't hear it anymore before she could feel her legs again. She exhaled shakily, tears burning in her blue eyes before she half-jogged back to the girl's dorms.

There seemed to be a slight commotion when she reached the building, and she saw three police cars parked outside. Krista didn't want to know what it was about. All she wanted to do was get inside her scratchy covers.

That wouldn't be happening any time soon.

When she walked in, a congregation of people had gathered in the commons, filling the room with a buzz of voices. A head turned in her direction passively, began to turn away before looking back. "Wait, wait, there she is!"

As a whole, the crowd turned to look at Krista. It exploded into louder noise, and suddenly the dorm matron rushed forward, tailed by several police officers as well as a few girls, surrounding Krista. She felt like a caged animal, and she had to beat back her rapidly-growing anxiety.

Everyone began talking to her at once, trying to talk over each other. Krista's ears were ringing so loudly she couldn't understand a single word. She felt like she was going to throw up, the room was closing in around her, a desperate urge to scream and cry swamped her. She had to get out, she had to get away. She felt like a balloon being stepped into the ground, harder and harder with each second. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't focus, she--

"Krista!" Suddenly, a hand closed over her arm. She jerked her head to see who had seen who had her.

Sasha stood, dark brown eyes full of worry as she gazed at the blonde girl.

"Krista, are you okay?"

Krista broke.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated this fic in a long time but i've been thinking about it a lot lately. there's a lot of in depth ideas i've had for it and i want to bring them to life. plus, i think any practice writing will help me to improve overall. i hope you enjoy!!
> 
> i went through and revised and edited everything. i think i got all the mistakes and bugs, but feel free to point out any i missed.


	5. Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krista is left to dread what's to come. Meanwhile, Ymir takes care of business.
> 
> * Warning: death mention (not gory)

"Let me see your arm."

Krista obediently stretched out her arm, exposing the purplish-blue veins easily visible underneath her pale skin. She watched the girl who'd just spoken swab the underside of her elbow with rubbing alcohol. The girl then swiftly injected a needle in the most prominent vein. Krista didn't look away or wince. The pain was somewhat grounding, like a sort of stabilizer. 

Her eyes flickered up to the girl who was taping the needle to secure it in place. Her nose was sharp and hooked, but not as much to make her unattractive. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, blue like Krista's, but paler and sharper. Her lips were small, drawn in a straight line as she seemed to set up the IV drip with disinterest. She was also blonde, but a less saturated blonde than Krista.

She was the nurse's assistant for this period, Krista concluded. She recognized the face; they shared a few classes and were in the same grade, but never interacted, as far as Krista could remember. The girl always looked so bored with everyone around her; it wasn't exactly a welcoming vibe.

Just then, the school nurse swooped through the door, studying her clipboard as she wordlessly made her way to the counter beside Krista's bed. She stood there making marks on the paper for so long that Krista started to feel a bit awkward in the silence. Finally, she spoke up.

"Krista Lenz?"

Krista's head jerked up. "Oh. Ah, um, yes."

More silence followed before the nurse finally clicked her pen and turned to face Krista. "How are you felling today, Miss Lenz?"

"I feel fine," Krista lied easily.

The nurse didn't respond, instead turning back to her paper to make a few more notes. It made Krista feel a bit nervous.

"When's the last time you've eaten?"

Krista glanced down at her stomach, and as if reminded of her hunger, felt a yawning pain in her empty stomach. "Er," she started, "I don't, um, remember."

"Annie, get some saltines from the cupboard," the nurse directed the blonde who wordlessly turned from both of them and went into an attached room. "I'm gonna need you to try and eat these. If you finish them, I'll get you some actual food."

Krista didn't say anything, but accepted the crackers from Annie when she returned with them. She stared down at the packaged saltines for a moment before opening them, removing one, and beginning to nibble it. It felt heavy in her mouth and dry, too. It clung to the roof of her mouth and her teeth as she swallowed, and she grimaced a bit. "Could I have some water?"

"Yes, dear," the nurse said, and without looking up from her papers, said, "Annie."

Annie disappeared once more.

The room was silent, save for the ticking of the clock on the wall that hung above a colorful poster that promoted the wearing of sunscreen. Krista let out a soft, inaudible sigh. How has she ended up here? It was the second time she was asking herself that question in as many days.

But she knew how she ended up here... sort of. Her mind flashed back to the swarming crowd engulfing her, choking her –

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. The sensory overload had caused her to freak out. She had started hyperventilating, and by the time they noticed she was having a panic attack, it was too late. Krista passed out, and when she woke up, she was being carried to the nurse's office.

It was embarrassing, really, how she'd lost it in front of all those people. But Krista felt nothing. She just felt numb. Numb and tired. 

The girl - Annie, Krista remembered the nurse calling her - returned with a styrofoam cup and handed it to her. Krista took it and lifted it to her lips, taking a few long swallows of it. It helped the remnant of the cracker down, which was refreshing. She continued her munching, slowly making her way through the seven crackers she had been provided with.

By the time the nurse actually spoke up, Krista was a little alarmed after being so used to the silence. "Annie, why don't you let me have a moment alone with the girl?" she suggested lightly, in a tone that made Krista's stomach churn. Annie left without a noise, and it was silent again, with Krista staring into her now-empty cup and the nurse staring at her.

"Now, Miss Lenz," the woman started, standing up from her swivel stool, "I have to ask... What happened?"

Krista shifted on the examination bed, purposefully letting some of her blonde hair fall in front of her face. "I was just overwhelmed by everyone. I... freaked out," she muttered.

"No, I got that part, dear. I'm talking about the reason you disappeared for a night and two thirds of a day."

So that's how long she'd been gone. It felt like years .

Krista didn't answer, just stared at her hands. Normally she might scramble for an excuse or at least try to evade the question, but she had no energy to do either.

"You don't have to tell me, but the dean will want to know, and you have give him an answer." Silence met her words. "It might be easier to get your story out now so you can gather your thoughts," the nurse pressed a bit more.

Krista didn't budge. A small nagging in her brain told her the nurse was right, that she would have to work up some story for the dean to take, but the numb feeling was too strong. She wanted nothing more than the solace of her dingy dorm and her uncomfortable bed at that moment.

A slightly contained sigh emitted from the nurse as she turned back to her clipboard. "You should probably get some rest anyways. After that bag-" she gestured to the IV drip, "-is empty you can go back to your dorm, but you must be escorted by one of the campus security guards. The dean is off campus for the evening but will be back tomorrow morning. You are to report to the administrative building no later than eight."

At that, Krista gave one nod and listened as the nurse left the room. Krista sagged the instant she was gone, feeling a crushing weight on her shoulders.

Tomorrow she would have to meet with the dean and be prepared with some story that didn't involve mentioning a drug dealer or sleazy thugs, and then afterwards meet up with said drug dealer and work out how to repay her life debt.

Krista wondered, as her eyes watched the drip of the IV over and over, what price Ymir planned putting on her life.

\-----

"I don't even really need another runner, though."

They sat on the patio of one of the last good bistros in the area, Jean lighting up another cigarette while Ymir picked at some fried pickles. The sun was nearing the horizon now, casting an orange overlay of color over the city.

"She'd look to suspicious anyway. A good girl like that walking the streets with drugs in her pocket... She'd have guilty written all over her face," Ymir continued.

"But she doesn't attract immediate attention," Jean mused, adjusting his sunglasses as he took a hit of his cigarette, "She's an innocent. Her guilt could pass as fear around this city, easy. A good girl roaming the streets of a town like this? She's bound to be scared."

Ymir mulled over his words as she drowned a fried pickle in ranch before popping it into her mouth. "Yeah, you right," she conceded, "but the fact I don't need another one still stands."

"You don't technically have to make her a runner. You don't have to technically employ her at all. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't really her fault."

Ymir looked up from her basket of food, fixing Jean with an impatient glare. "I know that. 'M not stupid. But I lost a lot of money for her. She owes me at least that much."

"Technically, that was your decision. You didn't have to help her," Jean pointed out, flicking the excess ash off his cigarette.

Ymir's gaze turned cold, and she leaned over the table. "You just got the job you've been beggin' me for the past year. You really want to play the 'technically' game with me?"

Jean lifted his hands in front of him in surrender. "I'm just sayin'," he remarked.

"Well, I don't need your sayin's," she retorted, the cold look fading back to the irritated one. "And your shades look stupid. Take them off, Terminator."

"Wow, I look like the Terminator? That was definitely my goal," Jean joked, pulling his sunglasses up to rest on his head.

An intermission in their conversation came when their waitress showed up, asking if they were sure they didn't want anything to drink. Ymir ended up ordering the first drink off the menu, which was a strawberry lemonade, and Jean ordered a bottle of root beer.

"Root beer. How edgy," Ymir jeered after the waitress left.

"How about that fruity lemonade? Is that symbolic of something?" he teased lightly.

Ymir rolled her eyes, but a small smirk was tugging at her lips. "Act straight all you want, boy, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only homo at this table."

Jean's lighthearted grin fell to a frown, his brows furrowing. "I'm not gay."

"Oh yeah, no, I know," Ymir reassured him, a dry look on her face. "You're so straight. The straightest male I know."

"Okay, okay, insult my masculinity, ha ha." He waited until the waitress was done putting down their drinks before turning a meaningful look onto Ymir. "She's pretty cute."

"What, the waitress? No, I'm not one for the twenty-year-old moms. I'll pass on her."

"No no, not her. The girl you saved. um... what was her name?"

"I don't know what you're getting at, but I'm not interested in her either." Ymir took a long swig of her drink before furrowing her brows. "I don't think I ever found out her name. Just called her Blondie."

"You don't even know her name?" He tutted and shook his head, tilting his head back to take a swig of his drink.

Ymir amused herself with the image of her reaching over the table and hitting the bottle to watch it spill all over him. She would have, but she decided she didn't particularly want her car all sticky and sugary.

She glanced away, towards the setting sun. The silence had her straying back to her earlier thoughts on what exactly she could do with the blonde girl. She didn't want her in any immediate trouble, and runners had to know how to get themselves out of it. She was too shy to be a street dealer; they had to be tough and intimidating when they needed to be. Maybe she could do something small, like handle the finances or check distributions or the like. Ymir sighed. She'd have to sleep on it.

She reached forward, finishing her lemonade before standing up. "Let's go," she declared, "It's time."

Jean finished his drink as she pulled a twenty from her wallet and tossed it on the table; it'd cover everything and then some.

Jean led the way to the car, twirling the keys around his index fingers. When he came to the car, he fumbled a bit as he went to unlock her door and open it for her. Ymir noticed the odd behavior and thought it over as he closed the door and went around to the driver's seat. Once he was in, she leaned forward from the backseat.

"Why, Jean Kirstein, are you nervous?" she asked him, eyes narrowed on him.

"Well, it's my first time picking up drugs that can't just fit in my coat pocket. Can't say I've ever dealt with something this big," he replied, voice tight despite his attempt to keep it light.

"Grow some ovaries, Terminator." She clapped him roughly on the shoulder before leaning back into her seat next to the window. "It'll all be fine."

Jean started the car without another word and pulled out of the parking lot onto the street.

They drove in silence, which Ymir was grateful for. When Leon was her chauffeur, he wouldn't ever shut the hell up, even if Ymir didn't respond. He just kept running his mouth. Her thoughts grew dark as she recalled the shithead driving off without a word. He'd pay for that, Ymir had decided, and she bit her bottom lip while wondering how exactly he would.

After about twenty or thirty minutes of driving, the car suddenly veered off and onto a bumpy, gravel road. Ymir sat up, a spark of adrenaline sending a shiver down her spine. This wasn't unfamiliar to her. She'd done this so many times she'd lost count, but she still got the jitters. They were definitely not as bad as the first ten or so times, but they were still there. She vaguely wondered if they would ever go away. She hoped they would; it was annoying.

"Turn right?" Jean suddenly said from the front, the nervousness clear in his voice.

"Yeah, then just follow the stretch of the road all the way down," Ymir confirmed.

The rest of the drive was made in silence, the tension building in the air. Ymir found herself slightly irritated with Jean. His anxiety was contagious, and it was putting her on edge. Leon was stupid and annoying and altogether a piece of shit, but he knew how to remain calm during business, even if it was by making painfully stupid cracks about everything.

The car came to a stop, and Jean exhaled as he put the car in park. Night had fallen, creating an eerie setting out of their surroundings.

"Stay in the car," Ymir instructed Jean, whose breathing seemed to be slightly uneven. "And chill, okay? I don't need you pissing your pants in my nice car."

Jean laughed breathlessly, shaking his head. "Jesus, Ymir, you always know how to ease my spirit with your kind, gentle words," he replied sarcastically, and Ymir grinned a bit. She didn't miss the way his hands relaxed around the wheel. Abrasive or not, she had managed to ease his nerves.

But she didn't have time to stick around and coddle the rookie; it was time for business.

The smile dropped from her face as she readied herself for what was to come. Opening the car door and sliding out, she stood at her full height, and immediately she felt watched. She knew her intuition was correct, but it didn't make it any less creepy. After shutting the car door, she took a few steps, glancing around.

Remembering something, Ymir paused at the driver door and knocked on the window and waited as Jean rolled it down.

"You do know where the gun is, right?" she murmured to him, her eyes not meeting his 

"Glove box," he breathed.

"You got it. I'll be back soon."

Ymir straightened up and looked around. This place was a new one. Trees surrounded the area, shielding it from prying eyes. A ways off was a single house, old and abandoned. She walked that way.

The closer she got, the more interesting it became. It was a Victorian house, with some windows boarded up and the others broken. No light emitted from inside, so she depended on the light of the moon above her and the car's headlights. It seemed to be an indigo color that was peeling to show the darker wood beneath it. It has two stories and seemed to have a tilt to it that made Ymir uneasy. If the wind blew hard enough, it might knock the thing over.

She climbed the dingy stairs up the porch and approached the front door. It seemed the wood was rotting, with strips of white paint curled back to reveal the decay within. Her hands slid into her pockets as she lifted her foot and knocked the toe of her boot against the door in a certain pattern. _One, two three. Four. Five._

Seconds passed before there was a noise on the other side of the door. She sniffed once as the door opened a crack. "Ymir," she immediately said.

The door opened all the way, revealing a dark figure standing there. There weren't any lights coming from the house, save for the small ember burning on the end of the man's cigarette. Ymir didn't recognize him, so she deduced he was a newbie.

"You sure kept us waiting long enough," he muttered, lifting the cigarette to his lips. Ymir noted the way his hand shook as he gestured her inside.

"Yeah, well, I'm here," she said, though she didn't enter the house yet. Her eyes flickered to the darkness behind him. "Who's there?"

"Ymir, it's been a while," another voice came from the darkness, one she recognized. Sure enough, Nick strolled up to the doorway with a lazy smile on his face.

She raised a single brow. "I thought you gave up all this. You know, decided to go back to college? Make a better life for yourself?" Ymir remarked, crossing her arms.

He laughed a bit, shaking his head. "This the only life I know," was all he said before turning from her. "C'mon."

She followed him inside now, watching the little light from outside catch on the metal of Nick's gun. It took a moment before her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the house, using the bits of light that filtered through the windows. Another person stood back where Nick had been. They were stationed there, guns loaded and ready just in case something was to go wrong.

Nick led Ymir towards the back of the house, a room that looked as if it used to be a foyer. A large rug, caked with dust and dirt, was spread across the living room. Nick suddenly bent over, grabbing the edges of it and rolling it back. The floor underneath was revealed to be damp wood, shades darker than the faded wood surrounding it. There was a hatch, but no visible way to open it. Nick stomped on it, nearly the same pattern that Ymir had knocked into the door. It took an entire second before the hatch suddenly budged, then thrown open. Nick exchanged a few words with the person who'd opened it before turning towards Ymir and gesturing him after her.

And so they descended down creaky wooden steps. Ymir saw more people, eying her as they held their guns. It still made Ymir a bit antsy to see that many people with guns in one place, but she hid it well. Besides, there was no such thing as "too careful" when dealing with drugs.

Nick led Ymir over to where a familiar person stood speaking to someone Ymir didn't recognize. When they drew near enough, the man's eyes flickered over to Ymir before murmuring something to the girl. She turned and walked away from him.

"Ymiiiiiir, there you are. We were starting to think you weren't going to show up."

The tall, round man flashed her a giant smile, clearly in his early forties with a goatee and dark brown hair, combed back. His name was Bernard, but everyone just called him Bernie.

Ymir felt a slight prick of irritation. "Why does everyone keep saying I'm here late? I got here the exact time the runt you sent my way said. It's-" she shot a quick look at her watch, "-9:37. I was told 9:35."

Bernie's bushy eyebrows furrowed a bit. "He was supposed to tell you nine on the dot."

Ymir found herself rolling her eyes. "I'm sure you just forgot in your old age. You probably told him 9:35 then for some reason got it twisted."

Bernie laughed, a loud guffaw that Ymir found highly unnecessary. "That might be it. I wonder if I'll get to retire with how old I'm getting now," he mused, scratching his chin.

"I highly doubt that comes with the job," Ymir responded dryly. She glanced around. "Where's the shit?"

Bernie put a hand to his chest as if in pain. "You wound me with your words. What I have here is far from shit. I have the purest stuff around," he assured her.

Ymir waved a hand as if to dismiss his words. "Whatever. Show me."

Bernie tutted, shaking his head. "You're no fun, Ymir. You're all business. If you don't stop every once and a while to have a good laugh, you'll die young."

"I'm sure running a drug cartel doesn't help much with my chances of a long life either," Ymir muttered.

He laughed that unwarranted laugh again before turning from her and gesturing for her to follow. She strode after him briskly.

After examining the goods, Bernie had the lackeys carry everything out to the car where Jean awaited him. When they approached, Jean stepped out of the front seat to oversee everything that was going into the trunk, and Ymir was mildly impressed at the fact he had seemed to regain some of his cool.

Bernie and Ymir talked a bit more business as they finished. When it was finally time to go, she felt exhausted. Bernard was her least favorite guy to deal with because of how incessantly chatty he was about the most irrelevant topics, followed up by that laugh of his. She moved to get into the car when a dark figure bumped into her shoulder.

"Hey, watch it, you shitbag!" she snapped, pushing the guy off of her. When the headlights caught his face, it stopped her in her tracks. She narrowed her eyes. "What the fuck is your scraggly ass doing here?"

This caught Bernie's attention. His dark eyes switched between Ymir and the guy. "You know him, Ymir?"

Fear flashed on his face, and Ymir took a step forward. "I believe I do," she said, her voice dangerous. She stepped closer to him, staring him down from her taller stature. "Tell me: you remember me?"

He shook his head so much it was amusing, taking a step back. "N-no, I don't," he denied, though his wavering voice contradicted him.

Ymir ran a tongue over her teeth, nodding as she eyed him before looking over at Bernie. "How long you had this one?"

Bernie's eyes met Ymir's, a friendly smile still on his face. "Just got him yesterday. Why?"

Ymir turned her head back towards the guy, a malicious smile slowly pulling up the corners of her lips. "I believe this fella here jumped me yesterday, him and his ratty group of friends."

The guy's bloodshot-blue eyes widened, and he held up his hands in device. "N-n-no, you got the wrong guy, I've never seen you before," he stuttered, his voice cracking with terror.

Ymir stared at him as she shook her head once. "I most certainly do not. The only one who got anything wrong is you for starting shit with me."

Bernard's smile remained, but there was a dangerous edge to his eyes. "Ymir, this guy tried to kill you?"

Ymir's eyes didn't move, locked onto the petrified guy. She only nodded very slowly.

There was a long moment of silence.

Suddenly, Bernie laughed. Then, he pulled something out of his pocket and pointed it towards the guy.

_Crack._

The sound split the still night air, making Ymir's ears ring, but she didn't flinch. She watched his body fall to the ground with an emotionless face. Bernie stared as well before slipping his gun back in an unseen pocket. "Sorry about that, Ymir. Hope I didn't stain anything."

"Nope, I'm good," she responded casually, as if he had maybe spilled some tea too close to her.

"Pleasure doing business with ya," he told her, flashing that giant smile at her before turning and sauntering back to the safe house, a bit more speed in his step. He was no doubt going to clear out of here; the gunshot was pretty loud, and he wouldn't want to risk the area being investigated.

Ymir took one more glance at the motionless body before opening the passenger door, sliding in, then closing it. "Let's go," she ordered, leaning back in her seat.

Jean hesitated a long moment before apparently finding his voice. "He just... shot him..." he whispered.

Ymir really looked at Jean now, who was staring forward, mouth parted as if in shock and fingers digging into the steering wheel. She tried to keep the annoyance off her face. "He deserved it. Now drive."

It took him an entire second before shifting the car into drive and pulling away. They drove in silence, Ymir staring out the window in a bored fashion. She idly thought of Jean's reaction and was briefly reminded of her first witnessed death. Ymir leaned her head on her hand and exhaled, breath fogging up the glass. It had been so long ago...

Her sharp eyes glanced up at the sky, which was a cold blue, whitened by the full moon. At what point, she wondered as she stared at the man in the moon and it reflected back in her dark eyes, did she stop feeling anything in the face of death?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowie, i actually updated! i was in the mood to write and i was like "u kno, my fanfic hasn't had much attention lately" so i decided to change it. the story gets darker with this chapter, and im afraid it doesn't get much lighter in the future. kinda proud of myself; this is the farthest i've gotten with any fanfic! anyways, i hope you guys enjoy (:


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